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"Be the person your dog thinks you are." ~Unknown.We welcome comments. Supportive feedback is what we enjoy most, but tips for improvement are valued too. It’s not required that you agree with us, only that you express your opinion civilly. Comments are moderated and will be posted following review. Read more.

Entries from December 2010

December 31, 2010

Every day we are privileged to see a pet be adopted by someone who wants to give that animal a great home. Sometimes we forget that the animal is adopting his human as well.

They take care of us when we are sad. They protect us when we are in danger. They also give us a purpose. When you wake up in the morning the first thing that you do is take your dog outside. Then you feed him. Then you think about where he will stay while you leave for the day. You say your goodbyes and go off to your job or school and go about your day. You come home and take your dog outside. You feed him, play with him, maybe give him a bath and then go to bed ready to do it over the next day.

It’s easy to get into a routine and sometimes forget everything they give to bring more joy to our day. They bring us smiles in the midst of a work day at the thought of that unusual spot he used for the bathroom or the nuzzle she gave you with her head underneath your chin. They bring anticipation to get home to see those tails fly in all directions. Most importantly, they give you love and trust.

There are rewards in life given to us every day. A raise or promotion, maybe a new car after graduating college. Most of these things don’t last. An animal’s trust will. When he looks at you and turns over to show his vulnerable belly with those eyes piercing your heart, it is the greatest feeling you can know. The most important thing to get from my little ramble is this: We give our animals care and attention every day, and in return our animals give us the self respect and motivation to be better people. When an animal who has been left out in the cold for years without a kindness from any human looks at you with his sparkling brown eyes and puts his head on your lap for five minutes of rest, trusting you will not let anything happen to him, it is the greatest lesson of faith I’ve ever known. If these animals can find a way to trust us, then we have the duty and the responsibility to trust and respect them, and most importantly each other.

Matt Crickenberger is an adoption counselor at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

December 30, 2010

As an adoption counselor there is nothing better than seeing one of our pets find a loving home. Personally, I'm a dog lover, and it doesn’t take long for me to bond with them and learn their quirks. A number of cats have become my favorites, too!

Here at the Richmond SPCA we use the color-coded Meet Your Match system to determine the personality of the pet and the lifestyle and desires of the potential adopters in order to facilitate a good match.

We rigorously evaluate each pet that comes up for adoption on their cuddleability, favorite toys and treats, tail-wagging and purring, and any tricks they may know to determine their Canine-ality or Feline-ality; then we have surveys potential adopters can complete to see which pets would be right for their family. The evaluations work really well; its all about finding the right fit (and it's awesome!). Sometimes it's easy to fall in love with a pet based on looks alone, but trust me that a decision made on personality and compatibility is one that lasts.

And size doesn’t matter either! It is all about temperament - a chill pit bull mix will be a better fit for a quiet home than a hyperactive terrier! There are a lot of really great large-breed dogs that tend to stay at the center a bit longer than their smaller friends. Because there is a stereotype that big dogs are harder to handle, sometimes these larger dogs take longer to find their forever homes. It’s not completely unfounded, however, all dogs need obedience training and consistency, regardless of size. If you're looking for a low-key dog, a "couch potato" of any size will be a better fit than searching by size or breed. Plus more dog increases cuddleability by surface area!

Janna Hall is an adoption counselor at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

December 28, 2010

“Ding, ding, ding.” The echoing sound of the bell throughout the adoption center captures everyone’s attention. Some people clap, some cheer, and a few want to know what it’s all about. Just like in “It’s a Wonderful Life” every time this bell rings, something special is happening. But it’s not angels getting their wings; it’s our wonderful shelter animals getting their homes for the holidays. Now that Christmas has passed, and the end of the holiday season is in sight, we need the bell to keep on ringing.

It has been busy in the adoption center these past few weeks, with more people visiting the Robins-Starr Humane Center than ever before. Parents lift their children so they can clang the bell; couples share a moment after everyone congratulates them; and everyone leaves with a smile (including the animals). And these generous people, who chose to adopt a homeless pet in need, are finding their new family members at the Richmond SPCA.

We have several adoption specials and discounts. There is a two-for-one special for all cats over 6 months of age throughout the month of December. Any senior citizen looking to adopt one of our senior animals receives a discounted adoption fee and a complimentary welcome home kit full of supplies for the new pet. Also, we offer a discount for adopting more than one animal regardless of age or species. We have so many different kinds of wonderful dogs and cats - young to old, small to large, laid back to energetic - that if you are looking for a new pet, we are guaranteed to have the companionship you are seeking!

Almost everyone who visits us during the holiday season leaves with a new friend, playmate, or confidant. Please come prepared to adopt; bring a picture ID and verification of your current address. The adoption fee is $95 and all the animals available for adoption have been spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. Any and all pet-related supplies you need are reasonably priced and available for sale in our Lora Robins Gift Shop. So come, visit, and adopt. Not only will you give a home to an animal in need, but you also get to ring our bell!

Day Newsome is an adoption counselor at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

December 27, 2010

In this holiday season, it is appropriate to take time to reflect on the debt of gratitude we owe the wonderful animals in our care, and in fact, at our mercy.

What do we owe them for? The loyalty that is unending, the trust they place in us without question, the companionship without which many of us would suffer in solitude, the love they give unconditionally.

What would you like to thank your beloved pet for this holiday? Post your comment here and share your love for your four-legged best friend with us!

Maureen Sowle is an adoption counselor at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

December 22, 2010

On Sunday afternoon, the staff and volunteers working in our adoption center witnessed a random act of kindness that has put us all in the holiday spirit.

Week after week, Mary Bell and her 9-year-old son Quinton have visited our Robins-Starr Humane Center because Quinton had asked for a dog for Christmas. Mary estimates they had been visiting each Saturday or Sunday for about eight weeks. Each time, they met nice dogs, but the mother and son kept looking for just the right match. Quinton has never had a dog before, and he wanted a small dog, big enough to play with but not too rough for a young boy.

Mary and Quinton came to the Richmond SPCA on Saturday, Dec. 18 and met Grace, a 4-year-old beagle mix who was just the right size, around 25 lbs. They spent time with her in a visiting room playing with Grace and began to fall in love with her, but after 8 weeks of visits, Mary was not ready to make a decision right away. They went home to think it over and decided Grace was just the dog they’d been looking for, and Quinton decided he would call her “Gracie.” That night they went out to buy supplies – a bed, a crate and all the things a family needs to be prepared for a new pup’s arrival – with the plan to return to the Richmond SPCA when the adoption center opened at noon on Sunday.

But they arrived at the adoption center later than they intended, and someone else was already visiting with Grace. The adoption counselor, Joe Bishop, who helped them the day before recognized Mary and Quinton, and told them that Grace was no longer available, the lady visiting her was making the adoption final. Joe offered to introduce them to other dogs who would make great pets. As Joe walked with the family to meet other dogs in the kennels, they passed the visiting room where Grace’s adoption was in progress.

Joe recalled, “As we were walking toward the back viewing area, her son stopped by the visiting room and looked through the door at Grace to say goodbye.”

The woman who was about to adopt Grace saw Quinton at the window and opened the door to him. Mary said her son told the lady, “I came back to get Gracie.” Quinton had tears in his eyes, and Mary remembers the woman, whose name she did not get, saying, “I see it in his eyes, and I see it in her eyes.”

“She seemed to know they needed to be together,” Quinton’s mom said of the lady who then handed her adoption survey back to the adoption counselor before turning to invite Quinton and Mary into the room.

Joe said it was, “like something out of a Hallmark movie,” as he heard the lady say, “I can't take this dog from a little boy. Just looking at his face, I know this is your dog. Merry Christmas."

“She then gave the little boy a huge hug, gave Mary a huge hug, and everyone was pretty much in tears at this point,” Joe said. “I think we were all a little stunned by what just happened, and it took a moment for it all to sink in.”

Joe continued, “Because her act of kindness meant sacrificing her own happiness with a new animal in order to give a child that happiness, she is a real angel. It made me so happy to see that she would do that for someone she never met,” Joe wanted to return the kindness. He purchased a gift card for the amount of the adoption fee for when she finds her own perfect match.

Quinton and his new best friend were united that day because of a stranger’s kindness. Mary reports that Gracie is already being spoiled and is the perfect dog.

Joe summed up the act of kindness he witnessed, “I don't know who the woman was… but, she made the holiday season complete for Mary and her son, and she made it complete for me.”

Tabitha Frizzell Hanes is the community relations manager for the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

December 21, 2010

Last week, we hosted a joint press conference with the Humane Society of the United States during which a video was disclosed documenting the continued barbaric use of gestation crates at the Smithfield Foods plant in Waverly, Virginia accompanied by horrific acts of gratuitous cruelty to animals in the plant. The cruel acts reflected a culture that is callous to the suffering of animals and the company’s continued use of gestation crates, which do not permit sows the space to move at all for essentially their entire lives, confirms this heartless corporate culture.

We were deeply grateful that the lead editorial in the Richmond Times-Dispatch today endorsed our position and called upon Smithfield to do the right thing and commit to a firm date when it will cease the use of the abusive gestation crates. I encourage you to read their insightful editorial.

Please join us in expressing our sincere thanks to the Editor of the Editorial Pages for his thoughtful and courageous piece. Maybe now that the editorial page of our own local newspaper has asked Smithfield Foods to commit to a reasonable date when they will cease the use of the cruel gestation crates, the company will realize that this is the right time for them to have the integrity to do so. To send your own message to Smithfield urging them to recommit to the company's original promise to end this practice, use this form on the HSUS website.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

December 15, 2010

On Wednesday, December 15, we partnered with the Humane Society of the United States on a press conference held here at the Robins-Starr Humane Center. Most of the local news media were in attendance for the important disclosures that were made. At that press conference, findings and a video were publicly disclosed that were made by an HSUS staff member who was working undercover at the Smithfield factory farm that produced pork products in Waverly, Virginia. During the undercover employee’s tenure at the plant, he filmed many horrifying acts of human cruelty in addition to shining a light on the endlessly horrifying cruelty of the gestation crates that the female breeding sows are forced to live in. You may view the video that undercover worker made at this link but be prepared for its disturbing impact.

I do not believe that anyone with a heart can watch this video without tears coming to his or her eyes. Seeing pigs living in gestation crates unable to move or even turn around and being subjected to the horrific treatment disclosed on this video has to be deeply affecting to anyone who cares about animals. Pigs are intelligent, sentient and very social beings who are generally as or more intelligent than dogs. For them to be deprived of any movement and to be subjected to unrelenting cruelty is deplorable.

I want to explain to you, our supporters, why we decided to give the HSUS our support in releasing this information to our community and to the country. First, let me make clear that we do not believe that it is wrong to eat meat. I have no doubt that there will be many people who will say that we are trying to force everyone to become vegans. That is ridiculous. We have no quarrel whatsoever with the consumption of meat, only with subjecting animals to a life of unrelenting misery and suffering in order that we may have cheap meat on our plates.

This is not about animals having rights, as is often asserted by those who would ignore these horrors. It is about mercy. It is about having a conscience and about identifying the point when that conscience says to us that continuing to subject animals to lives of inexorable pain, deprivation and suffering cannot be justified simply to provide us with a moment of eating pleasure for a cheap price. We ask only that these animals be allowed the small mercy of group housing where they can at least move and socialize before going to their deaths.

This does not seem to be so much to ask and would create the sort of society that I want to live in and want my child to live.You can help by letting Smithfield and its largest customers, McDonalds and Burger King, know that you want Smithfield to become gestation crate, and cruelty, free.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

December 12, 2010

We are fortunate to live in a community full of people who care deeply about our homeless animal companions - individuals who are dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable pets among us and to saving their precious lives.

At the Richmond SPCA, we have the opportunity to witness the kindness and compassion of our animal-loving community every day. And on Thursday, we were blown away by a selfless act of generosity. An individual who saw our holiday adoption advertisement in the newspaper last week sent that ad back to us with a note inscribed. The note asked that we make the holiday wishes of three deserving families and three deserving homeless animals come true with the enclosed donation. The gift, at the donor's request, would pay for three adoptions and Christmas Eve delivery for all three pets by Santa and his elves. Our collective hearts melted, and we marveled at the thoughtfulness behind the contribution.

We will take great care to ensure that the wishes of this generous, kind and caring supporter are fulfilled, and we look forward to uniting three more loving families with wonderful companions as a result!

Tamsen Kingry is the chief operating officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography, or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

December 08, 2010

I have been working at the Richmond SPCA as the Manager of Major Gifts for three weeks now, and several things are immediately apparent to me. We live in a community where there are a great many people who care deeply about the welfare of orphaned cats and dogs and are taking positive steps to protect and save their lives. Our entire staff and 450 regular volunteers are wholeheartedly dedicated to our belief that every life is precious and work hard to realize it each day.

Charles F. Bryan, Jr., the president and CEO emeritus of the Virginia Historical Society, wrote an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch last Sunday that is relevant to all who are considering making a charitable contribution. He offered tips for giving and questions to ask about any nonprofit organization before making a gift. Naturally, I reviewed my mental checklist for the Richmond SPCA as I read his piece. I’m happy to say that we passed the test with flying colors. His litmus test included the following points:

What is the organization’s mission and how well is it serving the community?; and

Am I confident that five years from now I will be glad that I made this gift?

To his point, we are one of the most effective, innovative and progressive animal welfare organizations in the country, both in terms of the quality and quantity of lifesaving services we provide to pets throughout our community as well as our overall stability. We will be celebrating our 120th anniversary next year, and our future is bright.

Mr. Bryan also suggested evaluating the financial health of thousands of nonprofits through online sources such as Charity Navigator. Recently we received their four-star rating, the highest possible.

As I settle in here, I marvel at the terrific work that happens all around me every day on so many levels. There is much good news to tell. I know that we owe our success to the individuals, businesses and foundations who support us in ways too numerous to mention here.

Nancy Bruni is the manager of major gifts for the Richmond SPCA. Before posting a comment to this post, please take a moment to review our commenting guidelines. Please be advised that posts require a first and last name in order to be published.

December 07, 2010

We set an ambitious goal for uniting homeless animals in our care with loving new families during the month of December as part of our Home for the Holidays adoption drive. Our entire team is working hard around the clock to place 350 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens in wonderful homes this holiday season. And we are pulling out all the stops to ensure that our orphaned pets’ ultimate wishes come true. We hope you’ll join us in this lifesaving effort. Here are a few ways you can help:

1) Open your heart and home to two deserving homeless cats for a single, low adoption fee of just $95. During the month of December, all cats over the age of 6 months are two-for-one! Only have room in your life right now to adopt one cat? We’ll send you home with a gift certificate for a second, fee-waived adult cat adoption, which you may use later in the month to unite with another companion or which you may share with a friend or family member who may use it to meet their own perfect match before December 31.

2) Tell all your friends about our special Santa Paws adopted pet delivery service by forwarding them this fun poster (designed by our dear friends at Barber Martin Agency). Families can adopt a pet between December 8 and 22 from the Richmond SPCA, and Santa, joined by his merry elves, will deliver their new companion to their family at home on Christmas Eve Day, December 24. This special offer, which provides the family with the memory of a lifetime, is available on a limited basis and for $200 (plus the adoption fee). For a child or adult who has longed for the companionship of a dog or cat, having that wish fulfilled at Christmas is the greatest joy, multiplied only by having that pet delivered by Santa himself!

3) “Like” the Richmond SPCA on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on our adoption promotions. “Share” our Facebook posts on your own wall or retweet our tweets in order to encourage your friends and family to join you in supporting the Richmond SPCA Home for the Holidays adoption drive.

4) Bring your neighbors, coworkers, friends and family to our Robins-Starr Humane Center to visit with homeless animals awaiting their forever homes. All our pets go home spayed or neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on age-appropriate vaccinations. All adoption fees are $95 or less.

5) Visit us for two special offsite adoption events on board our Tail Wag'n at the Children's Museum of Richmond's West End location (behind Whole Foods) Saturday, December 11 and December 18 from 9:30 to 12.

Please help us spread love and cheer by bringing families and deserving pets together this holiday season. On behalf of the more than 350 pets in our care every day, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us help them.

Please call us at 804-521-1307 for more information about any of the adoption promotions described above or visit us online.

Tamsen Kingry is the chief operating officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography, or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.